Geoege sweanoe



(NoModeL) G. SWEANOR.

Apparatus for Distributingflurrents to Electric Lights.,

No. 234,820. Patented Nov. 23,1880.

Eiqi.

GEORGE SW'EANOR, OF MONTREAL, QUEBEC, GANADA.'

APPARATUS FOR DISTRIBUTING CURRENTS TO ELECTRIC LIGHTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 234,820, dated November 23, 1880,

Application filed August- 30, 1880.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, GEORGE SWEANOR, of the city and District of Montreal, Province of Quebec, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Art of Producing Light by Electricity and in the Appa ratus Used Therefor; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

This invention relates to certain improvements in that class of machines in which a current of electricity is subdivided and distributed to a series of electric lamps by means of a rotating metallic brush or contact-maker electrically connected with, one pole of a suitable generator in connection with a series of contact-points electrically connected with a series of lamps which are connected electrically with the opposite pole of the generator, as more fully hereinafter specified.

I will first explain the principle upon which I am working in as simple a manner as I am able, so that a large number of persons besides those who are practical electricians may clearly understand it.

It is well known that if we take a red or white hot body or flame and revolve it in a circle very rapidly it will give to the eye the appearance of a complete and unbroken ring of fire, perfectly steady and uniform in appearance throughout its whole circumference, in which the eye cannot see at any moment the position of the hot body, although said body only forms a very small portion of the circumference in which it revolves. Nevertheless, the light of any part of the ring of light or fire, formed as above mentioned, will be much less in amount in a part of the ring than that of the body or flame itself when stationary. Now, if we apply this principle to alight of any kind and say that we cause the light to exist in a certain spot, as in a gas-burner, for the m part of a second of time, and then cause the said light to be removed and not exist, but cause this light to so appear and disappear, say, for the said space of time of m part of a second fifty or one hundred times within the second, the intervals of its absence will be so short that the eye cannot perceive them, but it will appear as if the light were steadily burning.

(N0 model.)

.\Vith the rapidity with which electricity travels the electrical light may, by suitable mechanism, be rapidly lighted and extinguished, as above mentioned.

Having as above explained the groundwork of my invention, I would state that if we have a current of electricity to be used in illuminating and it is supplied to a burner or lamp for Q part of a second one hundred times a second we have %%%-8- parts of a second remaining during which the electrical current may be employed on other lights or burners, and to fully employ the said current under the above-mentioned circumstances it would take 100,000 divided by 100, equal to 1,000 lights, to occupy the current.

Now, it must not be understood from the above figures that they even represent an approximate of what is to be done, as the amounts of time that the lights will be lighted and extinguished and the numberof lights that may be used will vary according to circumstances, depending on many things, such as strength of electrical current, situation, &c.; and, furthermore, although a light is mentioned, and it might therefore be understood that one electrical lamp or burner or light is only intended to be understood, yet it may be either one electrical burner or light, or it may be a whole system of burners or lights, comprising one hundred or even more individual burners or lights, as will be hereinafter more fully explained.

For the sake of clearness, and to prevent confusion of terms, by the word burner will be understood any of the apparatus at present in use that are employed to use electricity to form a light, for 1 shall not claim any invention in the construction of such apparatus in this specification.

\Vith the above explanation of my improved art, I will now proceed to describe the apparatus by which it may be carried into effect.

In the drawings hereunto annexed similar letters of reference indicate like parts, and Figure 1 is a side elevation of an apparatus embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of insulated connection cylinder. Fig. 3 is a front view of disk and adjustable arm for holding the armature, and also the armature itself. Fig. 4 is a plan of Fig. 3.

Letter A is any suitable apparatus for gen crating electricity, such as any of the dynamomachines of electricity, in the construction of which I do not claim any invention.

B is a disk, supported on a rest, O. This rest is similar in its construction to the tailstock of a lathe, so that by turning the handle O the disk can be moved backward or forward to cause the armature to press more or less upon the connections.

On the disk 13 are situated any number of segmental metallic points or connections D, extendingthroughout a greater or less amount of the circumference, as desired; but they and the armature must be so arranged that it, resting upon one point of connection, will form connection with the next point D before it breaks connection with the first mentioned. Thus there will always be a current of electricity passing from the generator A. If the points of contact D are few in number, they will be made broader or the circle in which they are placed smaller, while, if they are many, they will be made narrow and placed in a larger circle. In either case the spaces between them will be made small, so that the contactmaker may form the connection, as above specified.

E are the ordinary screws for holding the wires, connecting with lamps or a lamp, as desired.

F is a shaft, carried on plumber-blocks F F ToF is attached a disk, H, provided with a central opening, through which the shaft F passes, the opening being, furthermore, made so large that there will not be any electrical connection between the shaft F and disk. The attachment of the disk H to the plumber F must be made in any ordinary insulated manner, so that the disk may be insulated; otherwise, the shaft F and blocks F F must be insulated. The disk H is connected with the generator A by the ordinary connection I.

The shaft F passes'through the disk H, and on its end is secured a disk, K. On this disk is formed a rib, L, extending as a diameter across it. This rib has a hole extending through it and forming a socket for the reception of a spindle, M, which has a box, N, formed on its extremity. This is so arranged that the spindle M may turn freely in L, and the position of the box N may be adjusted.

O is a set-screw for securing the spindle M and box N in any desired position after they have been adjusted.

In the box N is placed an ordinary gib, P, and a number of very thin sheet-metal strips, It, so arranged that they form, as it were, a brush to press upon the points of contact D and form connection therewith as the shaft F revolves.

On the disk H is situated a rib, S, similar to the rib L, only that it is placed a little on one side of being in the position of a diameter (and I would here remark that the rib L need not be placed across the center, but as the disk K has nothing in the way of so placing it I prefer to do so) to avoid the shaft F. This is provided with a spindle, M, box N, and metallic strips R, the same as the disk K is provided, so that the brush thus formed may be set to form a contact with the disk K as it revolves.

To each of the wires T, held by the screws E, may be arranged a lamp or burner, or a system of lamps or burners; but from the last lamp or burner in a system of lamps or burners will be provided an ordinary connection back to the generator to complete the circuit. Thus it will be seen that when the generator is put in operation and the shaft F revolved, the current of electricity is distributed to each of the points D as the contact-maker formed by the brush or metal strips It form connection therewith. Thus it will be seen that to each of the points .D a burner or system of burners will be arranged to give light at various points, as required, and that by the revolutions of the shaft F, bringing the contact-maker or brush It into contactwith the points D, the said burners will all be lighted and extinguished for the very small portions of time, substantially as hereinbefore mentioned, whereby, to the eye, such a rapid production of light is caused in each burner that its absence cannot be detected.

What I claim, and wish to secure by Letters Patent, is as follows:

1. The combination of the disk 13, provided with points of contact D and rest O, with the disk K, provided with hollow rib L, carrying spindle M, provided with box N, and contactmaker It, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination of the shaft F, provided with disk K, carrying armature R, in the manner described, with the disk H, having rib S, carrying spindle M and box N, provided with contact-maker It and with movable disk B, having points of contact- D, the whole arranged substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

8. The generator A, in combination with a stationary disk, H, provided with a swinging contact-maker, as described, the revolving disk K, also provided with a swinging contactmaker, as described, and movable disk B, provided with points of contact D, substantially as described.

GEO. SWEANOR. W'itnesses:

E. R. WHITNEY, CHARLES G. O. SIMPsoN. 

